Omar seeks Pranab help to solve Kashmir

Opposition leader of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah on Saturday met President Pranab Mukherjee and requested him to ask the Centre to initiate a meaningful political dialogue on Kashmir. Abdullah had earlier also urged the Narendra Modi led government at the Centre to start a political dialogue with the people of Kashmir.

“We have requested the President to impress upon the Central government to initiate a credible and meaningful process of political dialogue without any further delay involving all stakeholders to address the political issue in the state,” Omar Abdullah told the media after meeting President Mukherjee.

He had on Wednesday convened an all party meeting in Srinagar to discuss the current unrest. He had slammed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for her failure to handle the protests that erupted after the 8 July encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen’s Burhan Wani.

In another development, a fact finding team comprising MP Mani Shankar Aiyer and columnist Prem Shankar Jha had to leave the SHMS hospital in Srinagar embarrassed when the victims of pellet injuries refused to narrate their agony to them, alleging further that such teams come to divert attention. The Army, meanwhile, has ordered a probe while regretting the killing of a lecturer in the Khrew area of Pulwama during the intervening night of 18 and 19 August.